TWIF: Vol. 33

1. IWD Sparks International Protest and Celebration.

As we know, there are a million and one ways to celebrate the most important holiday of the year. You could celebrate by attending the “Vagina Monologues” performed by your local girl gang (s/o the gal pals of Team THINX and to those of you who joined us on Monday or Tuesday!), you could celebrate by stuffing your face with vulva cupcakes (s/o to Cooking With Claire), OR you could take to the streets and demand equality with some badass protests. All are valid, IMHO. Speaking of protests, this year’s International Women’s Day saw many, occurring in every corner of the world from Belgium to Pakistan, all the way out to the Philippines, back around to Georgia and Turkey, out to Afghanistan and India, down to Paraguay, and around to Poland and Romania. Women (with other-gendered people by their sides) took to the streets globally to protest many things including a lack of empathy for female asylum-seekers, honor killings and government-sanctioned violence against women, inequal work opportunity and labor exploitation, workplace sexual harassment, lack of representation in government, lack of reproductive justice, aaaaand lots of other fun atrocities. Woof. However, there’s plenty to celebrate, too! Alongside the protests (which, in and of themselves make an awesome statement about how women are speaking up and are ready to be heard loud and clear), there were also vibrant celebrations of women around the world, honoring feminist movements of the past, present, and future. Spread the lady love wherever you can, sistas. Also, check out this special International Women’s Day t-shirt from our fave Matt McGorry. All proceeds go to NARAL, and you get to be twinsies with the sweetest male feminist around!

2. Rape Crisis Book Released For Native Women.

Last week, we heard about a printable coloring book made to celebrate the Notorious RBG; this week, we heard about an entirely different kind of feminist book: a book to help Native survivors of sexual assault cope with what lies ahead. “What To Do When You’re Raped: An ABC Handbook For Native Girls” was created by a North Dakota-based group called the Native American Women’s Health Education Resource Center (NAWHERC), and is meant to be a tool for Native women, who are more than 2.5 times more likely to be sexually assaulted than non-Native women. The release of the book feels extra topical when you consider how Canada is preparing to launch a (long-overdue) national inquiry into the cases of thousands of missing and murdered indigenous women--an inquiry that has been made a top priority by our #1 dude, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Though it’s hard for the rest of the U.S. and Canadian populations to come to terms with these realities, it’s extremely promising to see the truth about violence against Native and indigenous women inching its way into the international spotlight. Only like, 400 years late. NBD. Read more of my thoughts on this here.

3. Anita Sarkeesian Creates 'Ordinary Women.'

Remember that lady who dared speak up about gender inequality in the video game industry and was then threatened with sexual violence until she quieted down? Welp, she’s back now and louder than ever, with a new series called “Ordinary Women: Daring to Defy History.” Anita Sarkeesian of Feminist Frequency was thrust into the spotlight with her series “Tropes vs. Women in Video Games,” due to a marvelous showing of fragile masculinity known infamously in the feminist community as Gamergate. Though she suffered publicly through unthinkable verbal abuse from cyber dudes, Sarkeesian is rising once again and delivering this new series with more than enough feminist bite to please us. As she puts it, “Ordinary Women” will counteract the forces that often depict women as “secondary characters in history, objects of affections, damsels to be rescued, or merely the wives, mothers, and assistants to the men who achieved important things” and instead will “remind us that the stories we tell about women--in TV shows, comic books, video games, and in real life--often reflect the limitations placed on them, rather than the world-changing feats they've already achieved.” Totally rad. She launched a Seed & Spark page this week in an effort to raise the $200,000 necessary to complete the series--but if she reaches her goal, the first episode is due out in September of this year. Can’t. Flippin. Wait. (!!!)

4. BPS Students Walk Out Of Class.

When the Boston Common fills up with thousands of high school students instead of its usual assortment of lost tourists and bold sewer rats, you know something’s up (or at least I do, because I live across the street from it, so maybe that's just me). This week, after the city of Boston threatened immense budget cuts for the academic year 2016-2017 in Boston Public Schools (BPS), thousands of students walked out of their classrooms and flooded the central downtown green known as the Boston Common--all in an entirely student-facilitated effort to send a message to the city and the holders of its purse strings. Students are reacting specifically to news that the city government has increased tax breaks for GE, one of Boston’s largest corporate interests, while at the same time axing public school funds. To the pupils of BPS, this means cause for outrage. While Mayor Marty Walsh claims the protests are misguided, students have certainly been heard at the highest levels of Boston city government and await further action. Three cheers for these gals demanding their voices be heard!

5. Amy Schumer Makes Twitter Feminist Again.

After the Trainwreck hype cooled with the weather this summer, Amy Schumer managed to stay out of the spotlight pretty effectively by international superstar standards; however, this past week, she made headlines once more for doling out some hardcore feminist smarts to a dude who just didn’t get it. After The Bachelor’s Chris Harrison stepped outta line and insinuated to a former contestant that she was still attractive despite her having a ‘complicated’ past, Amy tweeted at him with a strong message: ladies should never be made to apologize for being complicated, and our complexities should never be something we are made to fight off. She made sure to throw in a solid, ‘she doesn’t need a dude’s validation to be happy’ line, too. And then, in true Schumer fashion, she invited the guy to discuss it all over a bottle (or 5) of wine. Can you say shero?

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